I think DC is being a revisionist historian when he says he came up with the 'drowning / abuse / coverup' scenario, and god knows why he'd want to? Maybe the court was stuck with a jury that weren't interested in current events (imagine that) because of the circus atmosphere leading up to trial. Maybe if there hadn't been such a trial by media there would have been a different outcome.
I always thought this was a very simple case. Mom kills baby, then disappears in fear of her parents more than police, is located and forced to admit missing daughter, lies then lawyers up and says nothing. State applies maximum pressure to no effect, then somehow overblows the prosecution and miraculously the girl is acquitted.
I think the over complication of the entire case by everybody, and especially media, is a huge reason she's not in jail right now.